Skin disinfecting or sanitizing compositions have become increasingly popular in the health care industry as well as with the general public for providing antimicrobial effectiveness to the skin without irritation. Generally, these skin disinfecting or sanitizing compositions, which should be distinguished from skin cleansing compositions such as soaps, shampoos, and detergents which typically include surfactants, abrasives, or other active ingredients used to physically as well as microscopically cleanse the skin, include alcohol as the active ingredient in killing any microorganisms which may be present on the skin, particularly the hands. Unfortunately, several misconceptions have evolved with the use of these skin disinfecting or sanitizing compositions. For instance, one common misconception is that these compositions will kill all bacteria or microorganisms instantly. In actuality, many of these skin disinfecting or sanitizing compositions require that the user maintains the alcohol-based composition on the skin for a period of time in order for the alcohol to effectively kill the bacteria or other microorganisms which might be present on the skin. Typically, it is recommended that the compositions not be removed from the skin for at least ten to fifteen seconds in order to allow the antimicrobial agent, e.g., alcohol, sufficient time to kill the microorganism.
Another misconception is in determining the amount of skin disinfecting or sanitizing composition needed for a thorough and effective disinfecting of the skin, particularly the hands. An effective amount of the antimicrobial composition will enable the user to spread the alcohol via rubbing together of the hands to completely cover the entirety of the hands. Oftentimes, a user will only obtain enough of the composition to disinfect a portion of the hands, leaving other areas of the hands still potentially infected with the bacteria or other microorganisms. This is particularly true where the sanitizing compositions are translucent and clear because it is virtually impossible for the user to determine whether or not the skin has been effectively covered. Moreover, given the relatively careless handwashing procedures used by individuals, particularly children, today, it is believed common for the user to miss entire areas of the skin where bacteria or other microorganisms might live on the skin.
On the other hand, too much of an alcohol-based composition is rough on the skin. Although alcohol is generally recognized as a very effective antimicrobial agent and is often noted as being relatively "mild" to the skin as compared to other active antimicrobial ingredients, continuous use of alcohol-based compositions, without protecting the skin, will ultimately dry out the skin, causing it to chap or crack.
Therefore, it is believed important to provide moisturizing properties to the skin, preferably at the same time the alcohol is being utilized. The defatting nature of alcohol to the skin requires that moisturizing agents or other skin conditioning agents be used to reduce water loss from the skin. Thus, moisturizers are sometimes used to provide skin conditioning benefits and improve mildness to the skin. Oftentimes, emollients are used as the moisturizers which essentially impart a smooth and soft feeling to the skin surface, but may or may not reduce water loss. Emollients also can refat the skin to reverse the defatting nature of alcohol.
At present, there are essentially two, and possibly three, ways of reducing water loss from the skin. One way is to deposit on the skin surface an occlusive layer which reduces the rate of evaporation. This method, however, often leaves an undesirable film on the skin.
The second way is to add non-occlusive hygroscopic substances to the skin which will retain water and make this water available to the skin to alter its physical properties and produce a cosmetically desirable effect. Non-occlusive moisturizers may also function by improving the lubricity of the skin.
A potential third way is to reduce the rate of evaporation from the skin by improving the barrier function of the skin. This potentially could be done through the use of agents to change the physical structure of the skin.
Thus, the need exists for an alcohol-based sanitizing composition which includes at least one moisturizing agent capable of not only reducing the water loss of the skin but also-serving as an opacifier for the composition which will effectively make the composition opaque such that the user of the composition will readily be able to determine the amount of sanitizing composition deposited on the skin and to determine when the composition has been completely spread over the entirety of the skin. An opaque sanitizing composition will also enable the user to determine how long the composition has been on the skin before wiping the composition away or having it evaporate.
A number of patents have cited the use of alcohol as an active ingredient for providing skin disinfecting properties to a skin cleansing composition. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,006 teaches a skin disinfecting formulation comprising alcohol and a surfactant-like block copolymer, namely a polyalkylene oxide/polydimethylsiloxane copolymer. This patent also discloses the use of thickeners such as celluloses, carbomers, pluronics, etc., and preservative antimicrobial agents such as p-chloro-m-xylenol. However, neither these patents nor any other known patent which includes alcohol as an active disinfecting or sanitizing ingredient teach or suggest which also functions as an opacifier.
There are, however, some patents which include opacifying agents as an optional ingredient in their cleansing compositions. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,243,021, 5,250,652, 5,385,685, 5,389,279, and 5,698,183 each disclose personal care products such as facial or body cleansing compositions which also include moisturizers to provide conditioning to the skin. It will be appreciated, however, that each of these personal care products include necessary cleansing surfactants and do not suggest using opacifiers. On the other hand, opacifiers discussed in these patents for light duty liquid detergent compositions where moisturizers are wholly unnecessary and which are not used directly on the skin. Thus, it has not been heretofore suggested that an opacifier be used that also functions as part of the moisturizing system of the composition.